Ross Hammond & Sameer Gupta (Sacramento/NYC):
Sacramento guitarist Ross Hammond has played on large stages and in small corners throughout the United States. His sound is equal parts jazz, folk, blues, spirituals and world music. Ross has collaborated with: Oliver Lake, Pheeroan AkLaff, Vinny Golia, Vladimir Tarasov, Nicole Mitchell, Dwight Trible, Calvin Weston, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Alex Cine, Jeff Parker, Nels Cline, Ken Filiano, Mike Pride, Max Johnson, Scott Amendola, Sameer Gupta, and more.
Sameer Gupta is a Brooklyn based jazz percussionist, tabla player, and composer. He is the founder of the jazz ensemble The Supplicants and drummer for the Marc Cary Focus Trio. He has also worked with vidyA, Kosmic Renaissance, Grachan Moncur III, Victor Goines, Vincent Gardner, Sekou Sundiata, Sonny Simmons, Marcus Shelby, Calvin Keys, Richard Howell, Dayna Stephens, and Julian Lage.
ME (Philadelphia):
Mitch Esparza (going by his initials, M.E.) Is founding member of the local garage/psych outfit, The Love Club, which has been described as sounding "Like rolling thunder...". He's also bass/guitar player of the philly noise rock team Humanshapes (sounding more like an intense and abbreviated early 80s sonic youth).
As ME he plays delta blues/Mexican folklore & psychedelic guitar compositions inspired by his love of music from all over the world. Each performance tends to be rather different and stylistically varied given his wide range of sounds and uniquely scattered personality.
He's also shared the stage and collaborated w/ members of various groups including Cinema Soloriens (feat. Marshall Allen & James Harrar), Richard Lainhart, Philippe Petit, Faust, Ulan Bator, Bardo Pond and basically anyone willing to join him on short notice.
NOEMA (Philadelphia/Grand Rapids, MI)
Is PeteJoe Urban, founding former member of the band, Creepoid. NOEMA is his current venture collaborating with Sean Sterns of the band Shores bringing to mind certain Eno/Fripp songs, and perhaps David Pajo's, Papa M.
The sounds explore depths of guitar loops and drones in a really beautiful and meditative realm. According to Wikipedia: "Noema (plural: noemata) derives from the Greek word νόημα meaning thought or what is thought about." Honestly this is an entirely appropriate name for this music which is very pensive and truly enveloping.
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